The present invention relates to safety rail systems, and in preferred aspects to safety rail systems which are easier to use and in more applications than conventional safety rail systems.
Barricades are often required on a temporary (or removable) basis. Examples include but are not limited to at construction sites such as to keep workers from falling off an edge of a roof or a level, falling down uncompleted stairwells, and the like, to keep the general public out of construction sites, and the like. Other uses include limiting access such as at festivals, sporting events, and the like. Safety rail systems have become a favored manner of providing such barricades in many applications.
Such safety rail systems utilize railings formed of tubular stock and having horizontal rails extending between vertical posts. The advantages of such railings are that they can be mass produced in multiple sizes very economically. The railings of the desired size can then be selected according to the particular application. In the application, the lower ends of the posts of the railings are slid into tubular sockets of a corresponding shape. However, during normal use, storage, and transport of such railings, it is not uncommon for such railings to become bent. Although it is possible to attempt to rebend such bent railings, it is nearly impossible to rebend previously bent railings to their originally manufactured condition. Thus, it is difficult or time consuming attempting to utilize such rebent (and bent) railings. Additionally, although railings are available in multiple lengths, railings will not fit in all applications. Although this is not a major detriment where portable bases can be utilized, this is a major deficiency in permanent mounting applications and/or in applications including existing installations not compatible with conventional railings.
Thus, a need exists for a safety rail system which is easier to use with less hassles and/or in more applications which were not compatible or considered by conventional safety rail systems.